The Whistlestop Full Marathon is a scenic, point-to-point trail race that follows a gentle, downhill course along the historic Tri-County Corridor, an abandoned railroad bed, in Northern Wisconsin. Runners enjoy a crushed limestone surface surrounded by beautiful fall colors, making it a favorite for personal records and first-time marathoners alike.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
The Pasta Feed will take place on Friday, October 9, 4:30-8pm in the Bay Area Civic Center. This Pasta Feed is not just for your race participants, it’s also your family and friends and anyone else who would like to come down to the tent and see what it’s all about! WhistleStop Full and Half-Marathon registrants will receive a complimentary ticket for the Pasta Feed, coupons will be in your racer packets. The Pasta Feed is ready to meet your night-before-the-race food-wise needs, leaving you satisfied, nourished and relaxed. Enjoyable conversation will be one of the highlights of your Pasta Feed experience as you take advantage of this opportunity the night before the race to talk over marathon stories and shop the WhistleStop merchandise. Dinner & Conversational Music Performed by area musician “Russ Darwin” from 4:30-7pm.
Packet Pick-Up for the Full/Half-Marathon/5k/10K will be held in the festival tent located in the Bay Area Civic Center. 320 4th Ave West, Ashland.
The Tamarack Health WhistleStop Marathon provides shuttle service, for runners only, from the Bay Area Civic Center to the Race Start lines on the morning of the race, October 10. You must have your official race number visible to board the bus. Buses will be marked Marathon, Half-Marathon, 5K or 10K – make sure you are on the correct bus. There will be no shuttle service back to the start lines after the race.
Bus schedule is as follows:
The bus pick-up for the Full and Half-marathon is on Depot Drive to the east of the Depot building. There will be no parking allowed on Depot Drive. Buses for the 5K/10K will depart from the north of the Bay Area Civic Center (Associated Bank side). Please load buses as soon as possible. DO NOT WAIT until the last bus! This could delay the race start time, we only have so many buses.
Click here for a map of shuttle bus pick-up
Post-race Party 9am to 5:30pm. Music by Ashland High School Jazz Band, Acoustic Relapse and Russ Darwin, inside the Bay Area Civic Center, near the finish line.
7-9pm. Listen to the blues music of “MilkBone” while sampling scores of microbrews (You must be 21 years of age or older to attend this event). Pre-purchased tickets for the Blues and Brews Fest are $10 with the brew sampling and $15 at the door. $5 without brew sampling and $10 at the door. Click here to purchase tickets.
6 Hour Clock
The WhistleStop Marathon runs on a 6 hour clock. If you cannot finish your desired race within the 6 hour clock please transfer to a distance that you can finish in 6 hours. Walking the Full Marathon is NOT allowed. Walkers are always welcome at the Half-Marathon.
Bag Drop at Start Lines
Trucks will be provided at the start lines of the Full/Half-marathon/5K/10K for racers to deposit warm-up bags. Bags and orange stickers with your bib number on it will be provided in your race packet, which you will pick up on Friday night. Verify that the number on the orange sticker and your bib number match. Affix the orange sticker to the white bag in your packet. The bags will be brought to the Bay Area Civic Center 320 4th Ave West and will be arranged in order according to your race number. Volunteers will be on hand to assist you in locating your bag. Please do not leave valuables in your bag and make sure your bag is closed and tied. Race officials are not responsible for clothes dropped off along the race course. Clothing dropped along the course will not be returned until the sweep vehicle has returned, after 3pm on race day. Lost and found will be held for 2 weeks after the race.
Energy Drink on the course:
Powerade will be served on the course.
Race Course Courtesy
Each participant should consider courtesy on the course. Please keep the following in mind:
Finish Line Area:
All finish line food and liquids will be under a special tent immediately adjacent and to the south of the finish line. Finish line food is for runners only. The medical tent will be located to the north side of the finish line. Volunteers will be on hand to assist you to the med tent if necessary. Finisher’s shirts will be in the Bay Area Civic Center, with concessions and souvenir merchandise for sale. For a map of the finish area please click here.
Tamarack Health WhistleStop Marathon & Half Marathon Finisher Shirts:
We pride ourselves in having the ultimate finisher item. Each year we create a finisher shirt that is worthy enough to wear at your favorite social gatherings. So cool! Marathon & Half-marathon finisher’s shirts will be in the Bay Area Civic Center, with concessions and souvenir merchandise for sale.
Tamarack Health WhistleStop 5K/10K Finisher Shirts:
5k/10k participants will receive their shirts at packet pick-up on Friday night in the festival tent.
Awards for the Full/Half-Marathon/5K/10K – click here for more information on awards.
Aid Station/Mile Markers
Water and sports drink will be available at 15 aid stations including one at every mile starting at mile 22 as well as the finish. Some aid stations will include food. Every mile will be marked on the course on a stand-up sign.
Course Closure
The times will be recorded for six hours for the marathon and the half-marathon. This makes the half-marathon a very walker-friendly course. Services will be provided for all participants maintaining this pace. (Approximately a 13:30 pace per mile for the marathon or a 28 minute pace for the half-marathon.)
Shuttle Buses From the Finish line Area (for racers only)
Shuttle Bus Departure (Shuttle Buses from the finish line to the race starts are for runners only. These are not spectator buses.)
Shuttle buses from the finish line area, at the Bay Area Civic Center in Ashland, will be available to all marathon and half-marathon registrants as well as all 5K and 10K registrants.
Buses will depart near the Bay Area Civic Center at (map to civic center):
Shuttle Buses NEAR the Full Marathon Start Line (for racers & spectators)
Shuttle buses are also available near the Full Marathon start. This shuttle bus is available to spectators as well as racers because parking is NOT allowed at the Full Marathon Race start. Spectators who would like to watch the Full Marathon start will be able to take a spectator shuttle. The shuttle will begin picking up spectators at South Shore Sand and Gravel at 7:30am with the last bus leaving the Sand and Gravel is at 8am sharp. SSSG is located at 68280 Primrose Ln, Iron River. Less than 1/2 mile west of FR242 on U.S. Hwy 2. FR 242 is the entry road to the Full Marathon start. The shuttles will return spectators to their vehicles after the race start. Runners may use this shuttle, however there will be NO packet pick-up at the shuttle and NO return to SSSG area after the race.
Timing Technology
Runners will find their timing tag already in their race packet attached to your bib. The WhistleStop races will be chip timed by Anderson Race Management using the Chrono Track® chip technology.
Full Marathon timing mat at half-marathon distance
For the Full Marathoners we will be placing a timing mat at your Half-marathon distance. This means you will receive a split time when you are at the halfway mark. If you choose the media update when you register, your friends will be notified.
Remember, immediately after your finish, you will still have the opportunity to check your time inside the Bay Area Civic Center. Your bib number will be required for a timing slip print out. For complete race results consult the http://www.andersonraces.com/results/ shortly after completion of the day’s events.
Finish Line Services
The following items will be available in the finishline tent for runners, Powerade, water, bananas, yogurt, and cookies. A comfortable grassy area near the finish line will be a great place to lay down and relax, meet friends and share race stories.
Medals for the Full/Half-Marathon/5K/10K finishers will be given out as you cross the finish line.
The Ultimate WhistleStop Marathon & Half-Marathon Finisher shirts will be available in the Bay Area Civic Center.
Race Results
A printout of your race result will be available inside the Bay Area Civic Center.
Showers
Showers are available to the runners in the Bay Area Civic Center after the race. They will be open from 9am-4pm. Runners need to bring towels, soap & shampoo if desired.
WhistleStop Full Marathon START Line Directions:
68280 Primrose Ln, Iron River. Reminder, there is NO parking allowed at the full marathon race start on race day. Runners and Spectators will be bused in from the South Shore Sand and Gravel parking area just off of Hwy 2 near FR 242. Spectators will be bused back to the parking area after the race start. Runners will not be bused back to this area after the race.
Every effort will be made to announce the names of finishers as they cross the finish line. All finishers will be offered a reflective blanket for warmth.
Fully staffed medical team will be available for those requiring medical assistance.
Post-race music all afternoon with concessions, soda and beer available to purchase, inside the Bay Area Civic Center.
Lodging information for the Whistlestop Events, check out our Chamber website:
www.visitashland.com
While there is ample parking within 2 blocks of the Bay Area Civic Center and available on the side streets in Ashland, we ask that you not park on Main Street. Please leave this for shoppers. Parking is available at the following spots after 5pm on Friday, October 9, and all day on Saturday, October 10:
The Whistlestop Marathon course follows the scenic old Soo Line railroad bed, offering a gently rolling, net downhill route on a packed limestone surface. Surrounded by peak fall colors and quiet Northwoods beauty, it is a peaceful and fast course that is ideal for personal bests. The course is USTAF certified and a Boston Marathon qualifier.
